[BroadHopper]

I am profound hard-of-hearing. I need to read lips to understand what a person is saying.

One night several years ago, I was driving Rte 3A North past the Hooksett toll booth. Blue lights were turned on and the high beams blinded my rear view mirror. I pulled over. I rolled down the window and put my hands on the steering wheel. My LEO friend told me to do that whenever I am pulled over. LEO's wants to see your hands and put them at ease. The spotlight on the car went on and I can't see out of the driver's outside rear view mirror. I find this a bit unusual. I can hear someone screaming at me. I'm not sure what he was saying. So I just stay in the car with my hands on the steering wheel. I can't see anything through my mirrors. All of a sudden two police officers with their guns drawn are on both side of the car, just to the rear of the front doors. I am **** scared and I am yelling. 'I'm hard of hearing and I need to read lips.' They keep yelling at me and waving their guns, as I keep repeating I am hard of hearing. It was getting tense. I can't see anything because of the spotlight and the high beams. It seems like eternity the shouting back and force. I wasn't aware but a state police officer pulled up and actually came to the door so I can read his lips. He told me to step out of the car with my hands where he can see them. I did so and I was quickly turned around with my hands on top of the car and searched. While the SPO was searching me he was cursing the two Hooksett officers for some reason. He ask me where I was coming from and where I was going. He told me that the vehicle I was driving fit the description of a vehicle involved in an armed robbery and they pulled me over for a check. After a license and registration check, the SPO apoligize for what had happen and he actually stated the Hooksett officers has over reacted. Well the two town officers cursed the SPO for saying that. I was told to leave. No apologies from the Hooksett officers.

I never been so scared in my life. This shows that the training the NH state police get is far superior than local police? I was told they get the same training, but in this case someone has a level head.

In my case a light blinding me makes communications worst and could end up in a tense moment such as this. When an officer is told the person is deaf or hard of hearing, they should have at least grant a little leeway.